Category: Tournament Reports

A Euro Affair: Dreams, Differentials, and the Hydra

In case you’ve been living under a rock, for the first time in WFTDA history, Champs is touching down on European soil, and having it right here in Malmö is honestly one of the main reasons Euro Derby News came back into being!

But while we are buzzing to have the premier event in the sport in our own back garden, we also have some serious business to attend to. We want to help you make your picks so you can claim all the bragging rights and glory in the official EDN x WFTDA Champs Bracket Challenge.

So, how do our four European qualifiers – Rainy City, Toulouse, Paris, and Crime City – stack up when we put their pathways under the microscope?

Let’s dive into the three states of mind heading into October: THE ultimate all-European dream, a few cheeky differential picks, and finally, the cold hard reality.

Dream Time

Right, chuck the algorithms in the bin and just look at the bracket. The tournament draw in Malmö has handed us a bit of pure magic: our European contenders are split cleanly across opposite sides of the board.

Toulouse and Paris are up top feeding into Semi-Final 1, while Rainy City and Crime City are parked down below feeding into Semi-Final 2. That means zero early-round cannibalism, unlike what awaits the NA West region in Malmö. If our teams play out of their skin, an all-European Gold Medal Game is 100% mathematically possible.

Imagine the scenes. Absolute cinema!

On the left side, Toulouse or Paris clear their Round 2 hurdles, pull off the ultimate quarterfinal upset against VRDL or Arch Rival, and book their ticket to Semi-Final 1. Over on the right side, Rainy City or Crime City navigate Round 2, take down a powerhouse like Wheels of Justice or Denver in the quarters, and survive Semi-Final 2.

Suddenly, Game 23 on Sunday evening is Toulouse taking on Rainy City, or Paris clashing with Crime City, on Swedish track to decide Champs. Algorithms disappear, spreadsheets break, and the Hydra stays in Europe for the first time in history.

📺 Our Dream: An All-European Hydra Final

Toulouse vs. Rainy City (or Paris vs. Crime City) – The game/s that would likely break every spreadsheet in derby. A Sunday night showdown where the highest prize in the sport is contested entirely between European teams on European track. A repeat of the European Championship final. Mathematically supported by the tournament structure, these potential matchups represent the ultimate dream for every Euro fan and bracket builder across the continent.

Living in Hope

Ok, ok, we’ll come back down to earth. If we pull back from our euro dreams and look for a statistical edge, Flat Track Stats (FTS) is where the algorithms get incredibly fun for bracket differentials.

What we love about the FTS dataset is how it treats European momentum. Crime City is heavily backed to advance through Round 1, while Paris is projected to secure a decisive Sunday consolation victory against Black Derby Collective with an 89% to 90% win probability. Meanwhile, Rainy City commands an overwhelming 95% win probability in their Round 2 opener against BDC.

When you run the full FTS Global simulation, the bracket breaks wide open: Toulouse’s run takes them past Calgary in consolation play (67%), ultimately setting up an all-European 5th place showdown where Toulouse edges out Rainy City (60%).

If you want a bracket that breaks the mould, FTS provides all the statistical justification you need to live in hope.

📺 Must-Watch Matchup: Toulouse vs. Gotham

THE single biggest statistical anomaly of the entire draw. While FTS Sanctioned backs Gotham at 58%, FTS Global does a complete 180 and hands Toulouse a 69% win probability. That massive split exists because Toulouse deliberately played their blockbuster fixtures against London Brawling and Rainy City as unsanctioned games earlier this year. FTS Global factors in that broader performance data, recognising that the French champions possess the scoring power to topple a legacy giant. If you are looking for a high-reward upset pick in your bracket challenge, this is the one to circle.

Predicting Reality

Like a cold shower, the official WFTDA game predictor, and the numbers, bring us right back to reality. With the Big Three, Rose City Wheels of Justice (3,260.64 GUR), Arch Rival (3,183.53 GUR), and Denver (2,289.73 GUR), sitting high in their statistical towers, the algorithm assumes the traditional transatlantic hierarchy will hold firm across the weekend.

Under WFTDA’s official model, three of our four European teams are forecast for early exits. Crime City is tipped to drop their opening Round 1 game against RipTide before falling to Calgary in Saturday consolation play. Paris runs into Rose City’s Axles of Annihilation (AoA) in Round 2 and is projected to lose out against Black Derby Collective (BDC) on Sunday. Toulouse gets the same treatment, predicted to lose their Round 2 opener to Gotham and their Sunday consolation to RipTide.

Rainy City is the lone European squad the WFTDA algorithm backs for a deep run. While their championship hopes hit a quarterfinal wall against Wheels of Justice, the predictor expects them to clean up the consolation bracket with wins over Santa Cruz and Gotham to lock down a fantastic 5th place finish. It’s a conservative outlook across the board, mostly because the official maths relies heavily on sanctioned inter-regional play, leaving European teams with predominantly domestic or unsanctioned schedules looking artificially quiet on paper.

📺 Must-Watch Matchup: Crime City vs. RipTide

For us European supporters, this is where it all begins, for real. It’s also the ultimate clash of predictive models: while the WFTDA predictor tips RipTide to edge it, Flat Track Stats completely disagrees, giving Crime City a massive 77% to 79% probability to advance. With a home-country crowd behind them in Malmö, Crime City have the chance to blow up the official algorithm in the very first round and set the tone for the entire weekend.

Lock in Your Picks & Grab Your Watch Pass

Whether you are playing it safe with the predictors or backing your team for a historic run, make sure you lock in your selections on the official EDN x WFTDA Champs Bracket Challenge before the first whistle blows in Malmö!

And if you can’t be in the Baltiska Hallen to experience the roar of the crowd in person, make sure you grab your WFTDA watch pass right away. This year is particularly special: for the first time ever, the WFTDA is broadcasting Champs in multiple languages! Alongside the English feed, you can follow all the action with dedicated commentary in French, Swedish, and Spanish. It is a massive milestone for international derby, allowing fans across Europe to cheer on Toulouse, Paris, Crime City, and 2×4 in their own languages.

Head over to WFTDA now to secure your pass, finalise your bracket selections, and get ready for a thrilling postseason.

CLICK HERE TO BUILD YOUR BRACKET

INSIDE THE CHAMPIONS’ MINDSET: WINNING THE CROWN

If the drama of the WFTDA European Regional Championships in Namur wasn’t enough to satisfy your derby cravings, the end-of-season ranking updates certainly will. Nothing Toulouse has officially claimed the European gold medal, but in a classic demonstration of WFTDA mathematics, the final algorithm did not reward them with the #1 ranking spot.

It takes more than just slick footwork to hoist the European crown; it takes an impenetrable, unified mindset and a willingness to play a highly calculated tactical game. We sat down with the team to dissect the collective force behind our new European champions and dived deep into the official WFTDA tournament statsbooks to track exactly how they conquered the bracket, even if the algorithm refused to yield.

Photo Credit: Floyd King Derby Photography

Maths, Medals, and Motivation

Every great story has a journey at its heart, and to understand Toulouse’s success, we need to look back at how they got to gold. At the 2024 Regional Championships, Toulouse entered the bracket as the #4 seed and skated their hearts out to claim a 2nd place silver medal.

Upgrading that silver to gold became the underlying mission, but 2026 brought its own adversity. In a tight and intense matchup earlier this year, Paris Roller Derby were crowned French Champions, ending Toulouse’s decade-long hold on the national title.

That loss only added fuel to the fire. Heading into the crucial April seedings cutoff, Toulouse made a fascinating tactical decision: they played zero sanctioned games during the 2026 regular season. By staying unsanctioned, they essentially took out an insurance policy to protect their massive Game Point Average (GPA) from taking an algorithmic hit ahead of the postseason.

But make no mistake, just because the algorithm was turned off didn’t mean they were taking it easy. At West Track Story 11, they delivered a devastating, full-intensity unsanctioned sweep of London and Nantes before pushing Rainy City to the absolute brink in a 157-142 heavyweight thriller. While playing unsanctioned technically cost them the bracket’s #1 seed on paper, it ensured Toulouse would arrive in Belgium battle-tested and locked into the #2 seed with everything to prove.

When the dust settled in Namur, Toulouse had executed a magnificent 149-119 victory over Rainy City in the final to take the gold. However, the official end-of-season WFTDA Rankings confirm a standard algorithmic regional reality: Toulouse remains at #2 in Europe with a 555.38 GPA, right behind Rainy City’s 587.33. One game is rarely enough to change an overall regional ranking, no matter how fantastic and exciting a win it is!

Because the WFTDA algorithm averages a team’s total game points over a rolling 2-year cycle (minus off-season), Rainy City’s high volume of sanctioned games earlier in the cycle, combined with their sanctioned regular-season blowout point boosts, kept their GPA high.

Toulouse’s regular-season “zero-sanctioned” policy perfectly preserved their high GPA, but it meant they had fewer total sanctioned scores in their denominator to mathematically leapfrog Rainy City with a single win. Toulouse won the physical battle and proved who was best on the track in Namur, even if there’s still ground to make up in GPA.

Speaking with the Champions: An Exclusive Q&A

We were incredibly lucky to catch up with the newly crowned champions shortly after the tournament. Despite the post-Champs exhaustion, Nothing Toulouse took the time to speak directly with us about what this victory means and the engine behind their success.

EDN: When looking at this monumental European Championship victory, how do you even begin to identify the standout players or the single key to your success?

Nothing Toulouse:

“This is a difficult question, because this title is truly the result of collective work. Every person in the group contributed something essential to achieve this outcome.”

EDN: It really seemed like there was an unbreakable structure behind the scenes that kept the on-track execution so flawless.

Nothing Toulouse:

“Of course, there are the players on the track, who delivered an outstanding sporting performance this weekend. But there are also everyone around them: those who train every week and who supported, analysed, took statistics, shared information, and took part in the life of the collective throughout the weekend.”

EDN: The composure of the team during those high-stakes moments in the final was incredible to watch. How did you maintain that focus?

Nothing Toulouse:

“The staff also played a major role, by maintaining a clear direction, bringing calm in key moments, and helping us stay focused on our game plan. In the end, everyone contributed to winning this gold medal, whether in the spotlight or behind the scenes. It was a great collective effort.”

EDN: Who else from the Toulouse community deserves their flowers for getting the team ready to take on Europe in Namur?

Nothing Toulouse:

“We would like to thank the Open team Les Quad Guards for taking part in our training sessions, helping us put our skills into practice and challenging us. And also all the members of Roller Derby Toulouse, who support us and who have contributed, in one way or another, to preparing us to experience this moment. Voilà!“

Game-by-Game Masterclass (VTAR)

That great collective effort paid off beautifully on the track. Because VTAR (Versus Team Average Rating) measures a skater’s efficiency against their own team’s average within a specific game, isolating the official WFTDA tournament positional data match-by-match shows the strategic decisions of their bench.

Furthermore, the physical environment of the Centre Namurois des Sports required immense athletic adjustment. Skating on Tabora’s notoriously soft, sticky linoleum floor meant managing heavy leg fatigue and choosing highly specific wheel configurations between 84A and 95A. Toulouse didn’t rely on a single, static lineup to win the weekend; they shifted their efficiency across the roster to perfectly counter whoever was standing across the track.

Game 1 vs. Antwerp – Opening Statement

In their opening matchup, Toulouse needed to shake off the competitive nerves to establish a dominant tournament pace, and they delivered.

Sham’Pain broke the game open with a blistering 3.04 Jammer VTAR, scoring at an elite efficiency, while Mac served as an incredible secondary weapon with a 1.51 Jammer VTAR. Whenever the pack got chaotic, Ninà Backdraft controlled the release valve flawlessly, logging a 1.04 Pivot VTAR when holding the stripe. Down in the pack, the defensive foundation was laid by La Chute (1.59 Blocker VTAR) and Climax (1.29 Blocker VTAR), who consistently choked out Antwerp’s scoring runs.

Game 2 vs. Paris – Semifinal Slugfest

Against a highly physical Paris squad, the heavy-hitters emerged to anchor the rotation.

Hapé was the mathematical MVP of this semifinal, slicing through the Paris walls to record an astonishing 2.39 Jammer VTAR, heavily supported by Trash Panda, who logged a solid 1.89 Jammer VTAR.

This game also saw the most spectacular pivot work of the entire weekend. Cata´ achieved a massive 2.94 Pivot VTAR, with Ninà Backdraft right behind them at 2.14 Pivot VTAR, restoring order instantly whenever the game threatened to boil over. Defensively, Sweenie put on an absolute clinic, generating a staggering 4.12 Blocker VTAR when positioned purely as a blocker, while Climax once again anchored the tripods with a 1.82 Blocker VTAR.

Game 3 vs. Rainy City – Championship Final

When the gold medal was on the line against the top seed, Toulouse’s top skaters went into overdrive to dismantle Rainy City’s systems. Trash Panda hit their absolute peak when the pressure was highest, generating a 2.25 Jammer VTAR and systematically breaking through Rainy City’s tripods jam after jam.

Chloé David stepped into the chaos of the final and delivered a massively composed 1.53 Pivot VTAR over 17 jams, anchoring the pack with a sustained +1.59 overall VTAR across 18 total appearances, second only to Trash Panda in game-wide efficiency.

That relentless consistency set the stage for an ultimate statistical anomaly when Chloé David stepped into the line for a single, crucial defensive rotation as a blocker. On that solo tracking run against Rainy City’s top-tier offense, Chloé David logged a mind-boggling 4.89 Blocker VTAR.

Next Stop: Malmö

With the European gold secured and their 2024 silver officially upgraded, Nothing Toulouse now turns their unwavering focus toward the WFTDA Championships in Malmö this October.

If their performance in Belgium and their unbreakable, adaptive team mindset is any indication, the rest of the world is going to have their hands full. In the words of the champions themselves: “Voilà!”

Subscribe to the email newsletter (free!) at euroderbynews.com to get postseason breakdowns, data deep-dives, and upcoming Champs news delivered directly to your inbox!

NOTHING TOULOUSE, EVERYTHING TO PROVE – Breaking down the WFTDA European Championship 2026

If anyone tries to tell you that the top of European Roller Derby has grown predictable, they’re having a laugh. Hopping onto the official EDN x WFTDA Prediction Hub before the tournament kicked off, you might have thought predicting the WFTDA European Regional Championship was going to be a doddle.

Yet, when the final whistle blew in Namur, just three incredible fans submitted perfectly flawless brackets. Congratulations to Quagga, Neylalyen & the owner of bracket ‘RCE26’!

How did they achieve the holy grail of tournament prediction? Because, on paper, Euro Champs pretty much followed the ranking roadmap. Out of the 17 games played over the weekend, 14 of them were won by the higher-ranked team. But if you actually watched the games, you know that the final bracket doesn’t tell the whole story. Heavyweights survived, but the underdogs made them bleed for every single point.

And let’s not forget the epic stakes. Besides the European crown, this tournament was the ultimate gatekeeper for the WFTDA Global Championships in Malmö this October, with only the four semi-finalists punching their tickets to the big dance.

For our Euro Derby News readers, here’s the proper narrative of the weekend. We’ve broken down the maths, pondered tactical debates, and highlighted the must-watch games you need to add to your playlist.

Setting the Stage: April 2026 Seedings

To understand Namur, you have to look at the definitive April 2026 seedings that locked the bracket in place. As we broke down in “So Much Maths!”, the WFTDA algorithm dictates that your game score equals the opponent’s ranking score (GPA) multiplied by your score ratio (Your Points / Their Points).

When the April 1st ranking snapshot slammed shut, the continental hierarchy was officially set. In the frantic months leading up to the tournament, Rainy City pumped their numbers up enough to seize the coveted #1 seed. Toulouse locked in at #2. Meanwhile, Paris disrupted the top tier entirely, sliding into the #3 spot and pushing Crime City down to #4.

The top seeds were settled, but once the skates hit the sticky Belgian floor, those numbers meant absolutely nothing.

First-Round Bye Paradox: Fresh vs. Warmed Up?

Namur had a brutal psychological and physical test: the first-round bye. Top four seeds, Rainy City (#1), Toulouse (#2), Paris (#3), and Crime City (#4), sat out the opening games of the tournament. Instead of easing into the weekend, they were handed a compressed schedule.

At best, it meant one less day of track time; at worst, it meant a punishing double-header where they had to jump straight from a standing start into a sudden-death Quarterfinal matchup.

Top 4? Win your opening game of the tournament and you qualify for Globals; lose it, and your international season is dead on arrival. This set up an age-old sports debate:

Is it better to come in fresh, or is it better to have already warmed up on the track?

When the top seeds finally stepped onto the track for their respective Quarterfinals, they faced opponents who had already played a full game. Those underdogs came into the make-or-break games adjusted to the sticky floor, the refs, and the tournament nerves, putting the heavyweights under immediate pressure.

Day 1: Nearly had ‘em

Opening whistle proved that tournament brackets are a complete fiction when teams hit the track cold. In Game 1, Lomme, locked in as the #12 seed from the April standings, lined up for their first matchup against the #6 seed, London Brawling. With both teams starting fresh, the underdog Bad Bunnies tore up the script. Capitalising on early momentum, Lomme shocked the hall by taking a 69-65 lead at half-time. London ultimately scraped by with a narrow 145-137 victory, but that relentless physical battle warmed London up just in time to face an untested Paris AllStars in the Quarterfinals (Game 5) later that evening.

This is where the script flipped. London had their track legs after Game 1, but Paris defied the cold-start slump entirely. Dictating track position from the first whistle, Paris built a commanding 94-33 half-time lead over Brawling. With Paris taking lead in 54% of jams, London’s jammers were constantly forced to dump the star. Paris won it 184-103, using their fresh legs to punch their ticket to Globals in their very first appearance of the weekend.

Later, #2 seed Nothing Toulouse had to face a warmed-up Antwerp in their own elimination Quarterfinal (Game 6). Antwerp had already shaken off their jitters, and Hipshot put up a towering 51 point performance for them, but Toulouse’s veteran composure held firm for a 154-90 victory, securing their global spot.

PUNDIT’S PICK (MUST-WATCH)

Game 5: Paris AllStars vs. London Brawling

Why you should watch it: If you want to see how to bypass first-game jitters completely and dismantle a legacy defence, this is your blueprint. Paris’s Legs//Cité and Killer Sushi operated as an unstoppable jamming duo, putting up 46 and 42 points respectively.

*Treat yourself – watch Game 1: Lomme Bad Bunnies vs. London Brawling too if you have time. What an opening salvo!

Day 2: Nearly not invited

Saturday was the ultimate realisation of the schedule-compression, featuring heavy penalty spirals and dominant blocking.

In Game 7, #4 seed Crime City Rollers faced an incredibly warm Nantes team in their sudden-death Quarterfinal. Nantes had already steamrolled Stockholm the day prior, and they utilised that tournament momentum to leave Malmö blindsided, blasting out to a 75-48 half-time lead. Crime City was defrosting slowly. If Nantes had held on for another 30 minutes, Crime City would have suffered the ultimate sports tragedy: hosting a global party in their hometown that they weren’t even invited to.

But with their Champs tickets on the line, Crime City got the bit between their teeth in Period 2. They executed a miraculous 129-113 comeback victory behind the relentless grinding of Fanilla Slice and SkyQueen. By overcoming that 27-point deficit with a staggering 81-38 second half, Crime City successfully punched their ticket to Globals, ensuring they would be skating on their home track this autumn.

Meanwhile, #1 seed Rainy City showed no signs of cold feet in their high-stakes match against Helsinki (Game 8). Rainy City proved exactly why they earned that top spot, crushing Helsinki 182-97 and later dominating Crime City 187-100 in the semi-finals.

PUNDIT’S PICK (MUST-WATCH)

Game 7: Crime City Rollers vs. Nantes Les Duc.hess.es

Why you should watch it: Watch Nantes ambush the heavyweights to take a terrifying 75–48 half-time lead, putting Crime City’s hometown Champs invite on absolute life support. Then witness Fanilla Slice and SkyQueen rain down points to drag Malmö back from the dead.

Day 3: Championship Clash

Sunday was a celebration of the four heavyweights who survived the jeopardy and locked in their Champs invites. In the placement brackets, Nantes captured 5th place by defeating London 173-95.

With the pressure of global qualification off their shoulders, Paris and Crime City met in Game 16 for the bronze medal match. It was a tactical masterpiece. Crime City held a razor-thin 63-59 lead at the half, and the second period turned into a gruelling, physical stalemate. Both teams matched each other lap for lap, finishing with an identical 46% lead-jammer rate across 57 jams.

Triggering 38 total star passes between them as they desperately fought out of penalty trouble, Paris found the single point they needed in the dying seconds to claim a legendary 143-142 victory.

Shoutout to La Moche #12 who literally put her body on the line for those all-important final points. Last Jam Hero.

Our Euro Champs Final (Game 17) between Toulouse and Rainy City saw the two powerhouses trade heavy blows, skating into the changing rooms at half-time separated by a single point: 52–51 in favour of Toulouse. Toulouse’s bruising pack work ultimately wore down the British in the final 15 minutes, allowing the French side to pull away for a 149-119 triumph and the European crown.

PUNDIT’S PICK (MUST-WATCH)

Game 16: Paris AllStars vs. Crime City Rollers

Why you should watch it: Absolute squeaky bum time from start to finish. You’ll see La Moche put in a titanic shift for Paris (75 points over 19 jams), while Crime City’s Ebba Metz and Fanilla Slice leave their souls on the track. It goes down to the wire.

Giving the Unsung Heroes Their Flowers

A tournament of this magnitude doesn’t just succeed based on the skaters wearing the stars or the stripes holding the lines. Be it logistics, tactics, or skater management, the weight of a compressed bracket means the real masters of the weekend often stood just on the other side of the track tape.

Brains on the Bench

In high-pressure postseason environments, tactical adjustments are everything. Immense shoutouts are due to the coaching and bench crews across all teams – especially Dr. Stevel, the strategy genius on Crime City’s bench who meticulously engineered Saturday’s historic 27-point turnaround, and the Rainy City masterclass bench rotation of VK, Bitchy, Oona, and Viv, who kept the top seeds disciplined and calm at the eye of the storm. We loved all the signals, corner mirrors, and sartorial elegance. Benches handled their business in all ways this weekend.

Positional Perfection: Officials & Photographers

We also have to give up a vast amount of respect for the tournament officials. With players routinely executing the punishing new meta of hitting jammers completely out and down, everyone having uncontrollable forearms, and the devastating speed of the recycles, keeping order was a monumental task.

Referees (SO) handled the weekend with absolute composure, while the Non-Skating Officials (NSO) put on a clinical display of clipboard competency. Managing complex penalty queues, frantic star-passes, and point verifications across 17 relentless games. The ultimate silent engine of tournament play. Thank you for your service!

To the photographers who have taken so many excellent shots, we could’ve turned this into a gallery! The action and emotion you capture means we’ll never forget how these moments made us feel. The new profile picture is important, but the memories shared? Priceless. Thank you.

*All images are credited and linked – give your favourite derby togs a follow!

Absolute Legends of the Weekend: Namur Roller Derby

Finally, a deafening round of applause for our hosts, Namur Roller Derby! Stepping up to host the crown jewel of the European postseason is a gargantuan undertaking. From organising seamless venue logistics to managing a packed schedule of elite charters travelling across borders, Namur treated the entire community to a flawless weekend of world-class derby. To the Green Shirts – Thank you for looking after us all!

Let’s be real about the venue: the floor was not fast. It was notoriously sticky, and yet somehow slick in places too. Wheels were swapped and legs worked harder than ever. But the fantastic upside to the surface? No one had home-track advantage. It levelled the playing field entirely, though rumours circulated through the team benches that Antwerp would cope best, considering their own home floor is famously even worse!

Namur, you played an absolute blinder.

*Unconfirmed mutterings but we’re hearing that European teams may ‘share their floor experience’ ahead of Champs, setting our four contenders up for success in every way possible.

“Best of Europe” 15-Skater Dream Team

Ratings, Rankings, Numbers…but what to do with it all? Well, here at EDN, what we really wanted to know is who would make a Euro Dream Team selection? Fantasy Euro Derby. So we set out to build our ‘Best of Europe’…

To survive a weekend this heavy, it takes pure class. We are evaluating our 15-skater roster using WFTDA’s VTAR (Versus Team Average Rating) metrics.

What is VTAR? It calculates a skater’s Average +/- per jam and subtracts the Team’s Average +/- per jam. Raw plus/minus heavily favours skaters on blowout winning teams. VTAR reveals who actually carried their squad, rewarding skaters who managed to out-perform their own teammates in the same games.

Because VTAR measures a skater’s efficiency relative to their team’s moving baseline for a specific match, averaging a weekend together into a single number distorts the data. Instead, our Dream Team takes the tournament’s top-performing endurance skaters and displays their unvarnished, game-by-game impact across the entire weekend.

Jammers – Precision Strikers

Hipshot (Antwerp)

vs. London Brawling: +3.56 (skated 19 jams)

vs. Roller Derby Toulouse: +3.04 (skated 14 jams)

Wildcard (Antwerp)

vs. London Brawling: +3.79 (skated 20 jams)

vs. Roller Derby Toulouse: +0.83 (skated 13 jams)

Queeracier (Lomme)

vs. London Brawling: +1.26 (skated 13 jams)

vs. Stockholm: +3.60 (skated 9 jams)

Black (Rainy City)

vs. Helsinki: +1.47 (skated 9 jams)

vs. Roller Derby Toulouse: +0.26 (skated 12 jams)

vs. Crime City: +4.42 (skated 12 jams)

Petit Bourrin (Lomme)

vs. London Brawling: +2.93 (skated 12 jams)

vs. All Stars: +1.00 (skated 10 jams)

Pivots – Release Valves

Dykestalker (Crime City)

vs. Nantes: +1.29 (skated 18 jams)

vs. Paris: -0.32 (skated 25 jams)

vs. Rainy City: +5.30 (skated 21 jams)

Adèle Rainbow (Nantes)

vs. Crime City: +1.86 (skated 8 jams)

vs. Stockholm: +2.54 (skated 9 jams)

vs. London Brawling: +0.92 (skated 10 jams)

vs. Helsinki: +0.03 (skated 3 jams)

F Batts (Rainy City)

vs. Helsinki: +1.53 (skated 16 jams)

vs. Roller Derby Toulouse: +1.11 (skated 15 jams)

vs. Crime City: +2.74 (skated 13 jams)

BRUTUS (Lomme)

vs. London Brawling: +0.84 (skated 26 jams)

vs. Stockholm: +1.98 (skated 25 jams)

Nordberg (Crime City)

vs. Nantes: +1.58 (skated 22 jams)

vs. Paris: -0.22 (skated 23 jams)

vs. Rainy City: +2.69 (skated 22 jams)

Blockers – Brick Walls

Halo (Paris)

vs. Roller Derby Toulouse: +4.46 (skated 16 jams)

vs. London Brawling: +1.93 (skated 17 jams)

vs. Crime City: +2.07 (skated 24 jams)

Tajinator (Paris)

vs. Roller Derby Toulouse: +2.42 (skated 30 jams)

vs. London Brawling: +1.25 (skated 24 jams)

vs. Crime City: +0.03 (skated 34 jams)

Kraken (Lomme)

vs. London Brawling: +1.02 (skated 27 jams)

vs. Stockholm: +1.29 (skated 25 jams)

Mad Gyver (Nantes)

vs. Crime City: +1.42 (skated 25 jams)

vs. Stockholm: +1.24 (skated 19 jams)

vs. London Brawling: +1.24 (skated 21 jams)

vs. Helsinki: –0.97 (skated 20 jams)

Guinness Paltrow (Paris)

vs. Roller Derby Toulouse: +1.40 (skated 32 jams)

vs. London Brawling: +0.72 (skated 18 jams)

vs. Crime City: +0.29 (skated 32 jams)

A Note on the Official MVPs

If you are looking at this list and wondering why the tournament’s officially crowned MVPs, Fanilla Slice (MVP Jammer) and Flashy Strike (MVP Blocker), aren’t sitting on this specific data-purist roster, it is a testament to how tough tournament math can be.

Pure efficiency models reward sustained, tournament-wide mathematical pacing, but tournament honours are won by skaters who step up and physically put their bodies on the line when the stakes couldn’t be higher. Both of these skaters did exactly that.

*Stats never tell the whole story, this is just one way performance can be evaluated….and it’s just for fun!

Think You Can Predict the Chaos?

You’ve got 1 more chance before the BIG ONE in October!

The official EDN x WFTDA Prediction Hub is officially open for business! We’ve partnered with Challonge to bring you an ad-free platform to test your derby knowledge against the rest of the community.

It’s a classic Bracket Challenge!

You can lock in your picks for this last bracket right now, but don’t wait too long, brackets lock automatically the moment the first jam of Game 1 starts.

Who will Oceania be sending to Sweden? Think you know? Prove it!

ENTER THE EDN PREDICTION HUB HERE

Pack is here!

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EXCLUSIVE: European Roller Derby Cup 2027

Last July, the global Roller Derby community descended on Olympiaworld in Innsbruck for the 2025 Roller Derby World Cup. It was an exhausting, 5 track logistical marvel that redefined the scale of the sport, taking over 1,600 people (including 1,000+ skaters and 600+ crew members!) to execute 80 historic games over 4 gruelling days.

But as the dust settled on that monumental event, a collective demand emerged across the continent: Europe needs its own dedicated battleground. Today, we can exclusively announce that the inaugural European Roller Derby Cup (ERDC) will take place in the autumn of 2027, pitting the continent’s fiercest national and borderless teams against each other.

ERDC 2027: At a Glance

Dates: September 24th – 26th, 2027.

Location: Riccione (a municipality in the province of Rimini), Italy.

Host: Lega Italiana Roller Derby (LIRD).

Tournament Format: 3 days, 2 tracks.

Size: Final bracket size to be confirmed.

From Leagues to Nations

Historically, European tournaments, like the WFTDA European Continental Cups, have been built exclusively for individual teams. What makes the 2027 European Roller Derby Cup unique is that it is a continental competition structure built specifically for National Teams and Borderless Teams. Eligibility is rooted in the RDNC’s (Roller Derby Nations Committee) ‘Definition of a Nation’. As of late 2025, there are 29 potentially eligible teams, with organisers planning a tight bracket to ensure maximum competition.

This means we can hope to see a dynamic mix of traditional country-based teams. We think this will be a great opportunity to see how much teams like Team Portugal, Team Denmark, and Team Netherlands will have grown and evolved since their 2025 World Cup appearances. Not to mention that the ERDC is a chance for brand new, European-level borderless teams to develop and showcase on the continent’s biggest stage.

Hosts Making it Happen: Lega Italiana Roller Derby

Italy, officially recognised by the RDNC as a Type i Nation, boasts a deeply dedicated and highly organised Derby ecosystem under LIRD’s guidance. Their organisational achievements over the past two years prove they are more than ready to command the international spotlight.

As the organisers of the official national championship, “Brace for Impact,” their current season utilises a multi-weekend format to ensure teams get maximum track time. And they don’t forget about skater development, coordinating events like “Rodei 2.0” in Fanano, a national gathering that provided dedicated bootcamps and high-level bench clinics run by top European talent.

But most importantly, Lega Italiana actively champions, embraces and embodies the values that the European Roller Derby Cup demands. Their events tackle vital community topics head-on, dedicating real time to trans inclusion in sports, fighting fatphobia, and ensuring a safe space for all skaters and participants.

Want to know more about Italian Roller Derby? Read more here

Europe’s Momentum

The 2025 World Cup dramatically shifted the global narrative. Europe is making moves and now commands quite the presence in the world’s top slots. With England (#3), France (#4), and Sweden (#5) claiming elite positions, Europe now commands 50% of the world’s top 10 slots.

We also can’t forget that ‘Belgian Bounce,’ as Team Belgium staged a phenomenal recovery to finish 8th in the world, nor Team Finland claiming that final 10th spot. No doubt about it, the competitive density of European Roller Derby is higher than ever before.

But executing a 3 day, 2 track international event will require an immense logistical effort, including an estimated 100+ volunteers just to keep operations running. Fans, officials, Teams and skaters are encouraged to watch social media over the coming summer for team & volunteer applications, plus any further updates. And of course, EDN will be there, keeping you informed. For any immediate questions regarding the event, the organising committee can be reached directly at eurorollerderbycup@gmail.com.

Mark your calendars. If 2025 and 2026 were the years Europe took over the global stage, 2027 is the year we officially build a stage of our own.

EuroClash Chaos

Tick, tock

It’s March 31st, and the dreaded WFTDA ranking freeze is just hours away. The frantic calculator maths of the weekend are over and skaters can relax knowing that they have finally left it all out on the track. But the maths doesn’t mean a thing until WFTDA officially rubber-stamps the standings at midnight tonight. Until that final page refreshes, no one is daring to exhale, and only then will the ink finally dry on those coveted invites to the European Championships in Namur.

Brutus #16 directing the Lomme defence. Photo by Life thu Argo’s lens

This past weekend, the Walker Dome in Newcastle played host to EuroClash 2026 once again. The ultimate, last-chance saloon for teams desperate to secure their postseason survival. We knew it was going to be a dramatic weekend of WFTDA bubble battles, but almost no one could have predicted the sheer chaos that actually unfolded on Tyneside.

Yet, looking at the WFTDA Live Beta Rankings today as we wait for the midnight freeze, there is a hilarious, agonising irony to it all. After an entire weekend of gruelling jams, shattered predictions, and physical exhaustion, the only two spots in the European Rankings that truly mattered didn’t move for a moment!

But numbers on a screen can never tell the full story. They don’t tell you about the cancelled flights, the depleted rosters, the organisers playing double-duty, or the sheer willpower required to stage the biggest comeback of the year.

Here’s the real story of EuroClash 2026…

Unpoppable: Resilience in the Face of Exhaustion

Lomme Roller Derby (Bad Bunnies) came into the weekend desperately clinging to the final European Championships invite spot at #12, with Göteborg Roller Derby breathing directly down their neck at #13. Both teams carried heavy burdens into Newcastle.

Lomme’s tournament almost ended before it began. On Friday night, the majority of the French squad was stranded at the airport due to a last-minute flight cancellation, forcing EuroClash organisers to scramble and rework the entire weekend schedule just to keep Lomme’s postseason dreams alive. Göteborg, meanwhile, arrived in Newcastle with only two of their regular rotation jammers. Against the grueling, slow-start, heavy-hitting defensive packs of EuroClash, having a depleted jammer rotation is a physical nightmare.

Despite the mental toll and exhaustion, both teams executed masterclasses against the highest-ranked team in the building, the Tiger Bay Brawlers. Lomme stunned the WFTDA world by beating Tiger Bay 158-138. The core of Lomme’s survival was Brutus. Formerly a star jammer, Brutus was a lethal pivot this weekend, taking Star Pass after Star Pass to rescue her team from the brink. Alongside the relentless slicing agility of MVP jammer Petit Bourrin and the impenetrable, “long-limbed” defense of MVP blocker L’Orage, Lomme fought through the exhaustion of their travel nightmare.

Long Limbs of Lomme – L’Orage #221. Photo by Life thru Argo’s lens.

Göteborg staged their own miraculous second-half comeback against Tiger Bay. Down by a massive 40 points at halftime and running on empty legs, Göteborg jammers Fred Finta, Bumblebee, and Prinsen put the team on their backs. The defining moment of the weekend happened in the final seconds of that game. Having taken a narrow 128-117 lead, Bumblebee secured Lead Jammer. Instead of racing around the track and risking a penalty or a turnover, Bumblebee simply stopped. Stood perfectly still on the track, staring down the pack, Bumblebee bled the final 36 seconds off the period clock to secure the upset of the year.

Göteborg’s Bumblebee #26 breaking through. Photo by Life thru Argo’s lens.

But the bubble’s fate ultimately came down to the direct clash between the two teams, which Lomme narrowly won (110-98). When the dust cleared and the math settled, the bubble seems to have held firm. Lomme looks like they survive at #12, leaving Göteborg likely heartbroken at #13.

Tiger Bay’s Trials

For the #8 ranked Tiger Bay Brawlers, EuroClash was a high-stakes heist that ultimately demanded too high a price. This has been an incredibly taxing year for elite European skaters, both physically and financially, heavily compounded by the demands of the Roller Derby World Cup. Tiger Bay’s captain, Evans, noted that the team had put “all their eggs in one basket” for this tournament, entering with fewer sanctioned games to protect their WFTDA Game Point Average (GPA).

That lack of a safety net became a terrifying reality on the track. The mental and physical fatigue was palpable. During Saturday’s games, they lost veteran core blocker Dos Santos to a nasty injury. By Sunday, they were also skating without the boundless, smiling energy of star jammer Geordie. You could see the sheer weight of the weekend on the shoulders of skaters like Rogue Runner, a true legend of the sport whose iconic speed and apex jumps are usually unstoppable, but who found herself repeatedly trapped in the unyielding tripods of Lomme and Göteborg.

Crash Landers #108 jamming for Tiger Bay. Photo by Life thru Argo’s lens.

Even with rising star Crash Landers putting up MVP numbers and Plant seemingly possessing the stamina of a marathon runner, the math was too cruel. Tiger Bay needed massive, blowout point differentials to maintain their GPA. Instead, they bled points, dropping down the WFTDA Live Rankings just days before the freeze.

In a poignant post-game moment, Tiger Bay skaters Sprints and Steph reminded the audience of the human element: they aren’t machines built to satisfy an algorithm. They are friends playing a sport they love, using this gruelling weekend not to obsess over the math, but to prepare their bodies and their strategies for their ultimate peak in June.

“Don’t forget the fun!” – Sprints & Steph, Tiger Bay Brawlers. Photo by Life thru Argo’s lens.

Hometown Heroes: Newcastle’s Foundation for the Future

If you want to know what the soul of grassroots roller derby looks like, look no further than the host league, the Newcastle Canny Belters. Newcastle entered the tournament ranked #19. They were the underdogs, the hosts meant to facilitate the Top 12 drama. Instead, they became the main characters.

The physical toll of hosting a WFTDA tournament is immense. Skaters are taping the floor, organising medics, wrangling officials, and selling merch – and then strapping on their skates to play the best teams in Europe. Look at Newcastle’s jammer Spangled, who sits on the league’s Board of Directors, organising the chaos behind the scenes before stepping onto the track to jam out of her skin against international defences.

Newcastle decided to trade a pristine, protected 8-0 season record to step into the fire and test themselves against elite teams. That bravery paid off. Backed by a roaring hometown crowd in the spiritual home of UK roller derby, Newcastle pulled off a sensational 165-140 victory over Bear City (who were led by their own phenomenal MVP jammer, Maya Mangleyou).

Throughout the weekend, the Canny Belters proved they are a rapidly rising threat. Their defensive duo of Drama Bomb (who took home Best Blocker) and Terri Sudron (Tournament MVP) put on a flawless clinic in penalty kills and immovable tripods. When Lomme needed to beat Newcastle by a massive 2.0 ratio in the final game of the weekend to feel safe in their WFTDA ranking, Newcastle refused to roll over, holding them to a 1.76 ratio and nearly gifting the #12 spot to Göteborg in the process. Newcastle climbed the rankings this weekend, building a concrete foundation for a European Championship run in the coming years.

Tournament MVP #86 Terri Sudron anchoring the Belters defence. Photo by Life thru Argo’s lens.

EuroClash 2026 Tournament Awards

After the dust settled on Sunday, it was time to recognise the standout skaters who defined the weekend….

Tiger Bay Brawlers

Best Blocker: Nuke
Best Jammer: Crash Landers
Tournament MVP: Evans

Bear City Roller Derby

Best Blocker: Bambickel
Best Jammer: Maya Mangleyou
Tournament MVP: Mia Missile

Lomme Roller Derby (Bad Bunnies)

Best Blocker: Girafon
Best Jammer: Petit Bourrin
Tournament MVP: Brutus

Newcastle Roller Derby (Canny Belters)

Best Blocker: Drama Bomb
Best Jammer: Eradi-cait
Tournament MVP: Terri Sudron

Göteborg Roller Derby

Best Blocker: Pain Gretzky
Best Jammer: Prinsen
Tournament MVP: Fred Finta

EuroClash 2026: The Final Scoreboard

For those keeping track of the WFTDA math at home, here is exactly how the chaos unfolded game-by-game over the weekend:

Day 1 (Saturday, March 28)

Game 1: Tiger Bay Brawlers 246 – 78 Bear City Roller Derby

Game 2: Göteborg Roller Derby 126 – 94 Newcastle Roller Derby

Game 3: Lomme Roller Derby 158 – 138 Tiger Bay Brawlers (called early due to injury, but officially sanctioned)

Game 4: Newcastle Roller Derby 165 – 140 Bear City Roller Derby

Game 5: Lomme Roller Derby 110 – 98 Göteborg Roller Derby

Day 2 (Sunday, March 29)

Game 7: Tiger Bay Brawlers 154 – 115 Newcastle Roller Derby

Game 8: Göteborg Roller Derby 128 – 117 Tiger Bay Brawlers

Game 9: Lomme Roller Derby 194 – 110 Newcastle Roller Derby

Looking Ahead to Namur

Maths = done. Bodies? Bruised. Flights home? Boarded. Aftermath? The chaos of EuroClash 2026 has proven one thing: European roller derby is deeper, more tactical, and more emotionally charged than ever before.

While we wait for WFTDA to confirm the final bracket seeding for the European Championships in Namur, the narrative is set. Top teams are bleeding, the underdogs are hungry, and bubble teams have everything to prove.

June 12-14, 2026, is going to be an unmissable weekend. Namur Roller Derby is officially putting on the WFTDA European Championships in Belgium. Last day for Early Bird tickets TODAY!!

Whether your favourite team is fighting for their lives to survive the first round or sitting at the top of the rankings hoping for a bye, Namur is where the European season will reach its ultimate peak. Don’t wait for the bracket to drop. Secure your seat, because if EuroClash taught us anything, it’s that hardly anything goes according to plan.

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